Staff Picks
A is for Art Appreciation
Did you know that August is Art Appreciation Month? With August just around the corner, the hot days ahead may be just the right time to visit one or more of the many wonderful (and air-conditioned!) art museums in our region.
When I was in art school, I had a love & hate relationship with my art history classes: I loved learning the stories behind various works and their historical context, as well as the different ways that color, shape, and placement can all influence how a viewer reads and reacts to a piece of art; I did not enjoy, however, having to memorize the numerous details for those hundreds of slides we viewed in class for quizzes! Years later I do appreciate what I learned in those classes, and when I'm at the art museum with my seven-year-old I enjoy sharing some of those nuggets of knowledge with him.
While art is very subjective and the same piece can evoke different feelings from each person that views it, if you've ever wished that you had a better idea of what an artist may have been thinking or intending when he or she was creating a piece, you may find these books from our collection helpful in prepping for your next museum visit:
by Susan Striker "Young at Art provides descriptions for age-appropriate art activities, tips for carrying them out safely, and helps parents recognize what a child's art work should look like at each stage of development. With Young at Art, parents will develop realistic expectations of their children's work, learn how to speak to their children about their art, and facilitate skills well beyond their creativity that will benefit children." National Gallery of Art (U.S.) "Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of full color images, this family-oriented art resource introduces children to more than 50 great artists and their work, with corresponding activities and explorations that inspire artistic development, focused looking, and creative writing." Art Institute of Chicago "A family guidebook to the Art Institute of Chicago and the art displayed there, presenting entries on over sixty works from all areas of the museum's collections." "The Daily Book of Art includes a year's worth of brief daily readings and lessons about the visual arts that entertain as they inform. Ten exciting categories of discussion rotate throughout the course of a year, giving readers a well-rounded experience in the art world. From color psychology and aesthetic philosophy to the proverbial argument over whether elephants really can paint, art-starved readers will encounter a broad range of inspiring subjects." "Great Paintings is perfect for anyone interested in learning about the world's most noteworthy artworks. Arranged chronologically, the story behind each painting is fully explained and examined in unrivaled depth. Artists' biographies and features on historical and social context explore how landmark paintings have been influenced by what has gone before and how they go on to inspire what comes after them."
Young at Art
Teaching Toddlers Self-expression, Problem-solving Skills, and An Appreciation for Art
An Eye for Art
Focusing on Great Artists and Their Work
Behind the Lions
A Family Guide to the Art Institute of Chicago
The Daily Book of Art
Great Paintings
The World's Masterpieces ExploreD and Explained